The Pokémon Centers in Japan have announced that they have renewed the Pokémon Center Birthday Event Pokémon. Starting Sunday, November 1st, 2020, the Pokémon Center Exciting Birthday (ポケモンセンターわくわくおたんじょうび) present will be new! All Pokémon Centers and Pokémon Stores are operating with hygiene enhancement measures. Some stores may change their business hours or restrict admission due to COVID-19.


Present 1: Milcery with a Sweet!
Players will receive a serial code to get a Milcery with either the Star Sweet or Ribbon Sweet! It can used in Pokémon Sword or Shield! The Star Sweet and Ribbon Sweet are special Sweets that are difficult to obtain in normal play. The different Sweets allow Milcery to evolve into different Alcremie Forms. Available from November 1st, 2020 until October 31st, 2021.

Players need to bring their Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite with their copy of Pokémon Sword or Shield to the Pokémon Center or Pokémon Store. You can receive this present regardless if you have purchased the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass. One Pokémon present is given per birthday, even if you have two or more software titles, you will receive one present.

Present 2: A birthday sticker!
An original birthday sticker for your birthday. In addition, if you show the birthday sticker to the staff, you will be asked to put a congratulatory sticker on the birthday sticker!

Present 3: 'Pikachu's Congratulatory AR Card' for free!
An original card with a picture of Pokémon celebrating their birthday. What's more, if you look at the card on your smartphone or other devices, something wonderful might happen to you! Please get it on your birthday and check it out!

Source: https://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2019/10/191025_p01.html

The official Pokémon website has announced a new 5 part series called Pokémon Bus Tour: Explore Galar which will be posted to the official Pokémon YouTube page.

Take a Road Trip with Pokémon Bus Tour: Explore Galar on YouTube

A new five-part series debuts on Pokémon’s YouTube channel exploring the UK regions that inspired the Galar region from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.


Have you ever been playing a video game only to find yourself wishing you could visit the locations that inspired your favorite places from the game? That's what UK television hosts Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes get to do in the upcoming Pokémon Bus Tour: Explore Galar series. You'll be able to join them as they travel in style on a Pokémon-themed double-decker bus on the official Pokémon YouTube channel. They'll be joined by several special guests along the way as they travel throughout the United Kingdom.

Over the course of their five-episode journey, Sam and Mark visit the sites that helped provide inspiration for the various cities and landscapes in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, from the villages of Postwick and Wedgehurst to the Wild Area teeming with powerful and diverse species of Pokémon. They'll cross the UK in a vehicle designed to resemble a Poké Ball—one floor of the bus is video game themed, and the second has a Pokémon Trading Card Game motif.


Learn all about the tour locations and the game locations they inspired from our travel brochure. Filled with photos and artistic renditions, the brochure is an excellent supplement as our hosts navigate around the UK. You can download the brochure in the description under each video episode.

Official Download Link (PDF): Click Here
Backup Download Link (PDF): Click Here

As Sam and Mark explore each new location, they'll meet a Pokémon fan who will help teach them a new facet of gameplay in the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games or the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Look forward to meetups with fans including DanTDM, Ali A, Clare Siobhan, Bird Keeper Toby, and Elle Osili-Wood along the way.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/uk/pokemon-news/take-a-road-trip-with-pokemon-bus-tour-explore-galar-on-youtube/

YouTube Clip - Pokémon Bus Tour: DanTDM teaches newbies how to play Pokémon!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK9ghlUZbyE

On Friday, October 23rd, 2020, plushies of Pokémon featured in the upcoming Fall 2020 release of the Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC: The Crown Tundra, will make their way to the Pokémon Center! Plushies of: Budrex, Freezer (Galar Form), Thunder (Galar Form), and Fire (Galar Form) will be available for your enjoyment. Collect the plush toys and have fun with them!

The Pokémon Center Online will begin selling them on Wednesday, October 21st, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. At the Amazon.co.jp Pokémon Store, pre-orders will be starting on October 23rd 2020, and sales starting on October 31st, 2020, but due to the limited number of products available, they may be sold during the pre-order period.

The release of the product may be postponed or cancelled due to circumstances in the production area.

Items:

Budrex Plushie - 2,640 yen
Freezer (Galar Form) Plushie - 3,520 yen
Thunder (Galar Form) Plushie - 3,520 yen
Fire (Galar Form) Plushie - 3,520 yen

Source: https://www.pokemon.co.jp/goods/2020/10/201009_to02.html

On Saturday, October 17th, 2020, plushies of Pokémon from the Galar region, the setting for the adventures of Pokémon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch, will be available at the Pokémon Center! The Pokémon Center Online will start handling them from Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Yokubarisu, Eleson, Tairetsu, and Korippo (Noice Face) will join the collection this time. Enjoy the feeling of adventure with a plushie of these unique Pokémon!

At the Amazon.co.jp Pokémon Store, pre-orders will be starting on October 17th 2020, and sales starting on October 24th, 2020, but due to the limited number of products available, they may be sold during the pre-order period.

Note: The sale of these products may be postponed or cancelled depending on the situation in the production area.

Item List:

Yokubarisu Plushie - 2,200 yen
Eleson Plushie - 1,815 yen
Tairetsu Plushie - 2,530 yen
Korippo (Noice Face) Plushie - 1,815 yen

Source: https://www.pokemon.co.jp/goods/2020/10/201002_to01.html

The official Pokémon website has announced the Battle of Legends Online Competition for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield which will take place from Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. PDT until Sunday, October 18th, 2020 at 4:59 p.m. PDT. Details have been added to our 8th Generation Online Competitions page.

Battle of Legends

Information
Region: International Registration Period: Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. PDT until Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 4:59 p.m. PDT Tournament Period: Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. PDT until Sunday, October 18th, 2020 at 4:59 p.m. PDT. Ranking Results Announcement: November 2020 Compatible Games: Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Banned Pokémon: Any Pokémon that was obtained in the Galar region or that has the battle-ready symbol is eligible for the competition. However, you can have only one of the following special Pokémon registered to your Battle Team: Mewtwo, Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Keldeo, Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, Magearna, Marshadow, Zeraora, Meltan, Melmetal, Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, Zarude. Battle Type: Double Battles Entry Gift: By competing in at least one battle in the Battle of Legends, players will earn a participation gift of 50 Battle Points.
Description
Get ready to face some powerful opponents when you take part in the Battle of Legends Online Competition for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. This competition allows each Trainer to have one Legendary Pokémon or Mythical Pokémon on their Battle Team, so prepare to test your mettle against the likes of Mewtwo, Lunala, and Zacian! This global event pits Pokémon Trainers from around the world against one another in a weekend of action-packed battles.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/compete-in-the-battle-of-legends-online-competition/

The official Pokémon website has announced the details for Pokémon Ranked Battles Series 7 for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield which starts November 1st, 2020.

Pokémon Ranked Battles Series 7 for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Starts November 1

Learn which Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will be allowed to participate in Ranked Battles Series 7.

A new Ranked Battles series is kicking off November 1, and Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Trainers need to know which Pokémon can be included on their teams. The Series 7 regulations will also be in effect for the Pokémon Players Cup II Region Qualifiers and upcoming Pokémon Video Game Championship events.

For Series 7, Pokémon that were banned in Series 6 will return, making all Pokémon that were legal in Series 5 usable once again. Although Mythical Pokémon remain excluded, many Pokémon from The Crown Tundra will now be allowed—including a large number of Legendary Pokémon, though some of them will not have Crown Tundra Pokédex numbers.

Eligible Pokémon

• Pokémon need to have either the Galar symbol—showing that they were caught, received, or hatched in the Galar region—or the battle-ready symbol, showing that they were transferred from another game and adapted to battles in the Galar region.
• All Pokémon from the Galar Pokédex, the Isle of Armor Pokédex, and the Crown Tundra Pokédex as well as certain other Pokémon are permitted except for Mythical Pokémon and certain Legendary Pokémon.
• Pokémon with the Gigantamax Factor are permitted.
• All Pokémon will be set to Lv. 50, including Pokémon below Lv. 50.
• Duplicate Pokémon are not allowed.
• Duplicate held items are not allowed.

Timer Regulations

• Each battle begins with a 90-second Team Preview phase.
• In each battle, players have the following time limits.
  • 7 minutes of Your Time
  • 45 seconds of Move Time
  • 15 minutes of Game Time

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/pokemon-ranked-battles-series-7-for-pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-starts-november-1/